Fly is a collection of short stories. The title suggests the main thematic element present, that of movement from or desire for some kind of freedom from a person, situation, or mind‐set faced by the characters. Some stories deal with this idea d . . .

The VO2 slow component (SC) is a slow, time-dependent rise in VO2 during constant-load exercise exceeding gas-exchange-threshold (GET). Approximately 86% of the VO2 SC reportedly originates from working peripheral muscles, with the remainder origin . . .

Purpose: Ten resistance-trained subjects participated in an investigation aimed to examine the impact of creatine loading with acute caffeine ingestion (CC) on upper body muscular strength (MS) and the associated neuromuscular function (NF). Method . . .

Although the prevalence rate of intimate partner violence in LGBT+ relationships is similar to that found in heterosexual relationships, specific services for LGBT+ victims of intimate partner violence are relatively unavailable. In response to the . . .

As a new mother, I chase the illusion of permanence, but I continue to find myself living in a world of transition—where everything collides at once— memory, dream, reality and imagination. As I result, I’m constantly rethinking truth and meaning f . . .

A qualitative study was conducted with five Punjabi women from a community in Central California to explore their experiences with depressive symptoms, their coping strategies, and their views on seeking help. Data were gathered using an interview . . .

It is widely believed that particulate matter (PM) present in ambient air is responsible for a variety of health effects. The presence of quinones in ambient air has been suggested as a possible cause for the detrimental effects on human health. Be . . .

The following four stories involve protagonists who are struggling with issues of mortality and faith as they try to negotiate their roles in this life and the more-than-human world in which we all exist. Their anthropocentric beliefs are intricate . . .

The Cosunnes Copper Mine is a contact-metasomatic copper deposit located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains approximately fifteen miles southeast of Placerville, California. The deposit is located near the western margin of a large marble and biotite s . . .

This thesis explores how guerrilla movements aided in the formation of women's and feminist groups that emerged in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Chiapas, Mexico. The development of feminism has been attributed to women's participation in the guerrilla m . . .

An optimal linear control-law formulation is developed herein using an evolutionary state-transition to meet various performance objectives in seismically excited structures. The control-law makes use of a predictive optimal linear control algorith . . .

The Hmong are undergoing a process of acceptance and rejection in forming their new Hmong American identities. As borderlands citizens, the Hmong’s new identities reflect the bicultural communities around them, and therefore, exemplify both Hmong a . . .

The natural formation of the rainbow is one of the most important and widely studied optical phenomena throughout history. Its creation is due to a process of refraction, and an underlying wave interference that is not commonly discussed among intr . . .

Adolescents encompass a considerably large amount of the foster care population in the United States. Every year the number of youth who “age-out” of the foster care system at the age of 18 or 21 to live independently has continued to increase. Yout . . .

The injection of mafic magma into cooler crustal reservoirs has long been proposed as a trigger for volcanic eruptions. If the arrival of hot recharge magma does provide the immediate eruption trigger, then mineral thermal profiles should reflect a fi . . .

The rise of children living and/or working on the streets has become a global phenomenon following the increased industrialization and urbanization of our times. Despite the best efforts of helpers globally, many street children return to the streets. . . .

The Edenton Tea Party is frequently cited by historians and antiquarians alike as the first political action taken by women in the years leading to the American Revolution. Although the original text no longer exists, it is known that on or about Oc . . .

This research pursues interventions to stabilize and reduce harm of youth at risk of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) while in the care of child welfare services. Researchers have identified an intersection between youth at risk of DMST and the c . . .

Worldwide, there are 65 million people that have epilepsy and approximately 200,000 additional individuals are diagnosed with epilepsy annually. There is no cure and currently available anticonvulsants, which are medications to treat seizures, are not . . .

The purpose of this study is to investigate the structural characteristics of a dual system moment frame and concentric braced frame with friction damper (CBFD). This study involves the design, detailing, fabrication and shake table testing of a full- . . .

Transgender people are one of the most vulnerable and marginalized populations in the U.S. The primary concept that the researcher examined is the lived experiences of former transgender and gender expansive youth in California. The theoretical fra . . .

This study involved Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, as the model organism to study the behavioral differences seen in flies overexpressing the human tau protein throughout their adult life span. The tau protein (MAPT – microtubule ass . . .

The Hmong people are a group of Southeast Asians who came to America around 45 years ago. Because they are still so new and still such a small group, their stories have only began to come to light. As a group of becoming, the Hmong are now engaging in . . .

The purpose of this research study is to identify how being an undocumented student has affected the undergraduate academic experiences of current graduate students. This study exhibits narratives from four students who have earned a bachelor’s degree . . .

The Escherichia coli cAMP receptor protein (CRP) requires both DNA binding and RNA polymerase recruitment for its transcriptional activation function. The DNA recognition of CRP is performed by the F-helix (residues 180-185) and several F-helix resi . . .

Involvement with systems like Child Welfare Service (CWS) can occur through various forms such as poverty, domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health. People from rural communities face additional adversities leading to mistreatment and neg . . .

Hydnocarpin D was isolated from the flowering plant Hydnocarpus anthelminthic in family Flacourtiaceae, as a racemic mixture devoid of optical activities, in an extremely limited amount. Racemic Hydnocarpin D has been reported to have promising anti-p . . .

Politics in the classroom is a hot topic for debate in today’s political climate yet is a subject that yields limited research. By applying a qualitative lens, participants had the opportunity to discuss their perceptions of their instructors, the cla . . .

Biological sequence alignment has been widely used in the field of computational biology and bioinformatics. For this application both non-heuristic and heuristic algorithms have been implemented. With the recent technological development of high- p . . .

Nursery citrus trees in California must be grown in insect exclusion facilities to be protected against Huanglongbing (HLB), a deadly disease spread by the Asian citrus psyllid. Faster year-round propagation is critical for citrus nurseries to offset . . .

Bacteria must be able to withstand a myriad of stresses from both their environment, and in the case of pathogens, from their host. Low molecular weight thiols serve as redox buffers to maintain a reducing environment in the cell and participate in va . . .

Our world is more connected today than it ever has been. Within the past seven years, social media use among adults in the United States has increased; however, while digital connectivity is on the rise, life satisfaction and happiness are declining ( . . .

This qualitative study sought to gain a better understanding of the lived experiences of student veterans who had recently transitioned from military service into community college. Utilizing the Veteran Critical Theory (VCT) as the primary conceptu . . .

Homelessness in Fresno is a commonality within the city. Criminalization of homelessness is also common but on worldwide scale. The purpose of this thesis is to look at the perspective of social workers and their application of their ethical principle . . .

Discovered in 2004, tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are actin-based, bridge-like structures that allow the intercellular transport of cellular components, electrical signals, and pathogens. Thus, TNTs have been implicated in viral propagation, neurodegener . . .

The operation and functionality of working Sn and Bi based perovskite solar cell devices have been simulated using the Generalized Photovoltaic Device Model and compared against different Pb-based devices. The results are highly promising in that they . . .

The 2012 President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Report notes that the United States needs to create an additional one-million STEM professionals before 2022. Unfortunately, at the post-secondary level, not enough students ar . . .

Existing literature confirms that the substitution of mineral aggregates with tire- derived aggregate (TDA) increases the ductility and toughness of concrete. This paper investigates the application of TDA concrete in buckling-restrained braced frames . . .

This study seeks to understand the experience of monolingual Spanish-speaking parents in regard to parental involvement in the education of their children in the San Joaquin Valley. Using a phenomenological approach, this study examined the narratives . . .

Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) have been recently discovered as an essential form of cell-cell communication in multicellular organisms. Although TNTs appear to be an important cell-cell signaling pathway, its mechanism of formation and functions are st . . .

Bacterial second messenger, c-di-GMP, regulates important functions such as biofilm formation, motility, and virulence. C-di-GMP also has an immunostimulatory property, so can be used as a vaccine adjuvant. In this project, DgcZ (a diguanylate cycla . . .

Feminist rhetoric often looks back in history to find instances of women’s voices in writings, but for my thesis, I argue the importance of looking at modern forms of feminist rhetoric in academia. I am specifically looking at what I term as Rouge Fem . . .

Aging and age-related diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular diseases, are incredibly complex and result from multifactorial processes. However, a common hallmark in development of these diseases is the failure of the body’s antioxi . . .

Pervious concrete is a special type of concrete with a high porosity which contains very few or no fine aggregates. It is also known as Porous or Permeable Concrete. Pervious Concrete is distinguished as a best management practice (BMP) as it allows p . . .

This work addresses the application of capillary electrophoresis coupled to a hybrid mass spectrometer (CESI-MS/MS), to investigate agricultural related chemistry issues. Fumigations are routinely used on pre and post-harvest commodities. With the lat . . .

Second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS) consists of hundreds of toxins. Many of these toxins such as 1,3-Butadiene and Ethylene oxide are known to cause cancer. The health effects of SHS are well known; however, the effects of environmentally-aged sidestream . . .

Prostate cancer has continued to plague the globe as the second most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. To date, there are no effective treatments towards metastatic, advanced prostate cancer. Fisetin, a natural strawberry flavonoid, has been reveal . . .

Mélanges consist of blocks hosted within a finer matrix. These blocks may record homogenous pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions or a wide range of P-T conditions. Researchers generally conclude that mélanges with isofacial peak P-T conditions record . . .

Coaching purpose defines why coaches do what they do, reflects coaches’ fundamental reasons for being a coach, and represents their motivations for coaching. Quality coaching means teaching life skills and valuable life lessons through sports with the . . .